amys-the-wise-1

[amys-the-wise-1]

There can be no health in us, nor any good thing grow, for the land is one with the Dragon Reborn, and he is one with the land. Soul of fire, heart of stone, in pride he conquers, forcing the proud to yield. He calls upon the mountains to kneel, and the seas to give way, and the very skies to bow. Pray that the heart of stone remembers tears, and the soul of fire, love.

– The Karaethon Cycle

[amys-the-wise-1]

Until she calls me home.

[image 1 description: Drawing of Siuan Sanche and Moiraine Damodred, a black woman with long curly hair and a white woman with wavy hair. In a village hut, they are lying on a vast bed, the sheets in disarray. Siuan is holding Moiraine tight against her chest, fingers tangled in Moiraine’s hair. Neither are looking at the other, lost in thoughts. Across Siuan’s bare shoulder and back geometric tattoos spiral. Moiraine’s naked back bears two faint scars.]

[image 2 description: Close-up of Siuan and Moiraine focusing on their faces.]

[amys-the-wise-1]

important!!! Siuan Sanche with a women want me fish fear me hat!!! that's it thank you for your time

[amys-the-wise-1]

[amys-the-wise-1]

Rafe’s Q&A on twitter:

And on here:

Q: Will we see more than one of these cities in season 2? Cairhien, Tear, Falme

A: Yes

Q:  I have to ask. Gawyn (and I guess the lesser brother Galad) actually beat Mat in the warder training yard in the show right? Theres no way they lose on screen is there?

A:  This is an iconic scene from the book and we are building to a believable version of it in the show.  Hopefully.  Ha.

Q:  I have a cheat question about season 1. What was the biggest change in episode 8 that was brought by COVID restrictions compared to what you had originally planned?

A:  The thing I like the least was we originally had Egwene using the Wisdom skills she’d learned in the pilot from Nynaeve to help her after the channeling in Fal Dara.  But last minute Covid changes on the day didn’t allow for the same amount of touching so it got switched and I (melting face emoji)

Q:  How much has the making of process changed in between seasons especially with how the pandemic affected season 1?

A:  It’s certainly affected us in ways both huge and small, but by the end of Season Two it had become so second nature that MULTIPLE TIMES I poured a coffee into my mask and was confused why it didn’t go into my mouth

Q:  What’s your favourite scene with Donal Finn, and why is it him blowing the horn?

A:  #LetDonalToot is now the rallying cry of a generation

Q:  Which books make it into season 2?

A:  Pieces of 1,2 and 3.

Q:  Blink twice if we see more than one Forsaken!

A: (two relieved face emojis)

Q:  How far into the books will this season take us, know the EF5 are much more split up than EotW

A:  We are trying to get a fair amount of what’s done in Books 1-3 (large parts still being held for later) by the end of S2 so that S3 can be a much closer adaptation of TSR

Q:  In comparison to season one, how much queer rep is there going to be?

A:  It depends on how many great memes you churn out.

Q:  When will Rand’s luscious curly locks return?

A:  Ask @joshastradowsk1 He should be growing them now :)

Q:  Maybe you can open with an explanation of why you had the entire seanchan ever victorious navy unleash everything they had on a poor little girl on the beach, or how you had the forces of Fal Dara hard charging the BACK OF THEIR OWN DEFENSIVE FORTIFICATION.

A:  That girl had it coming.  So did the entire coastline and all its cities

Q:  Is Liandrin’s friend a <ahem> North Harbor friend, a Darkfriend, or both?

A:  I wouldn’t tell you even if you used a weave of compulsion

Q: Why did you guys decide not to make the dagger instant death like the books? How did Loial survive being stabbed by *the* dagger?

A:  That’s a story best told in a stedding

Q: describe S2 using only alcoholic beverages please

A:  Spiked Kaf

Q: Do the Seanchan still use the ball gags on the Damane?

A:  I’ve never seen a ball gag on a damane

Q: Pretty sure I saw Uno in the behind the scenes - interested in how that is possible after last season…

A:  He’s breathing.  Watch close

Q: Can you tell us how much you will be expanding on the forsaken in this season?

A:  It’s a big point of difference from the books in S2.  We will spend more time with any Forsaken who’s in the show, more how the later books treat the Forsaken than necessarily Books 2 or 3 did

Q: Hopper?

A:  THANK YOU.  WHY IS NO ONE EVER GIVING HOPPER THE RESPECT HE DESERVES.  OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: HOPPER IS IN S2

Q: favorite Season 2 two person scene with only the character names and no more

A:  Egwene Renna

Q: Since most of the main characters split up geographically at the beginning to tGH, will the next seasons keep them on parallel timelines for a convergence at Falme? In which case, the Portal Stones left a time gap of ~4 months for Rand’s group; easier to do on a page or on film?

A:  Time gaps are very difficult moving to the medium of television with the stories intercutting, but we try to do as much as we can to avoid one hour cross continent dragon flights

Q: favourite type of gin, and also, can you drop a hint about something you’re looking forward to us seeing in season 2?

A:  Your pic makes me excited about where Liandrin’s character goes in S2.  We are so so lucky to have the amazing  @katefleetwood in the show and you will love, hate, and love to hate her LiLi

Q:  Any hints on Moiraine’s journey in season 2? A:  It’s much expanded from her Book 2 story. But built out of the core of that and of a couple relationships that were not explored in the books

Q:  Did everything happen as planned this season or did you guys have to change anything (as in the last 2 eps of season 1)? A: There were unforeseen changes as we shot S2 immediately after wrap of 107 and 108.  But that’s making television.  Anyone who tells you there weren’t unforeseen changes on their show is lying

Q: Are you sticking with the fun cold opens? A:  Yep!   It’s our ode to the out of POV chapters in the books and we will always have them

Q:  What new character/actor are you most excited to introduce us to? A:  There are so many — Aviendha, Elayne, others that have been both announced but not announced, and of course Bayle Domon

Q:  Does Mat get to wander the Tower practice yard, and do we learn of Jearom? A:  Get your Origins on!!!

Q:  Will we get “Do you like to dance, Perrin Aybara”? A:  Yes.

Q:  Can you tell us what role Xelia Mendes-Jones will play please A:  Xelia is playing the role of knocking their scenes out of the fucking park every time they stepped on set.

Q:  Which new cast member gave you the best “Yep! THAT’S _(insert character name)_!” moment in season 2 filming? A:  I think this moment will be in the first or second trailer of season 2.  It lives rent free in my mind at all times

Q:  How many episodes will@Season 2 be? If only 8 again, will they be longer? A:  They are longer than first season, but yes, still only 8

Q:  Are the Wheel of Times Origins cannon to the tv show or just a pretty (amazing) side piece where the stories of origins aren’t the mythology used in the show? A:  Canon

Q:  which character had his plot changed the most compared to the books? A: Mat.  But we try to bring the characters back to where they should be by the end of S2.

Q:  What is the journey like for Moiraine and Lan in season 2 with their bond still masked A:  Another big departure point for us from the books is making much more story for Moiraine and Lan.  We aren’t sitting these two amazing actors on the bench for a season, so we take what’s in Book 2 for them and expand it in a huge way.  That’s all I can say.

Q:  please tell us gawyn won’t be likable please please please you can’t do this to me A:  I love every character I write.  I think you have to find a way to

Q: Will weaves appear the same in the coming season(s)? Congrats on S3 btw! A:  They’re getting a bit of a revamp for S2.  Threads and colors and bears oh my.  But no bears.

Q:  First off, G&T is divine. Second, I want to know if you get more chances to expand the dialog more to let us see the characters better? A:  We are always trying to.  Lots of one on one scenes that didn’t get shot or didn’t make the cuts.  But I’m always fighting for them, I think that’s where the characters really live or die, and our actors can always deliver when it’s just 2 people in a room talking

Q:  What was the scene you dreamed of bringing alive the most and have you filmed it yet? A:  That scene is in the final episode of the show

Q:  Is the Darkfriend Social gonna be in the show? A:  Yep

Q:  Does Rand get his Red and Gold outfit this season? I can’t wait to see Josha officially in it A: (smiling face with open hands emoji)

[amys-the-wise-1]

Y'all want to know why she was able to do what she did, including manipulating everything for the greatest good?

Unlike Elaida, there was zero pride involved, at least in the big ways. Once she realized how far she'd fallen, and how badly she would be treated for grasping above her station, she accepts it and gets to work.

She dug into her humble fisherman work ethic and busted her arse.

That ending was dirty AF but her spite towards everything that went wrong and working her arse off to keep everything going towards that pivotal moment. For every one person who goes out in a blaze of glory is the humble, no pride one who busted hump to get them there.

SIUAN SANCHE

From the server. Here you go @cozcat. For my blorbo.

FULL BOOK SPOILERS DO NOT ENTER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE RUINED First of all I had a bunch of feelings today do to you guys while I was in a meeting with my boss and missed Cry About Siuan Sanche Hour so thanks for that. I’ve heard about Moiraine’s heroism like a million times since she’s more of a fandom fave so that’s not usually my focus when I go off the deep end. 

But Siuan Sanche? Everything for her tbh. That passage? The one where she ruminates on the time she spent in the Tower? How she was couped within it grown old early while the world was beautiful? How she missed experiencing the world while Moiraine was searching without her? How they’d never spent a night apart in all of New Spring but then in short succession after being raised Aes Sedai in the gayest ceremony ever performed at the White Tower she loses her first love and her freedom? 

Siuan was happy with  her lot in life on a fishing boat with her father and that was taken from her. She found purpose and love while training to use a power she didn’t want and then that was taken from her. She didn’t understand the game and Cetalia and the Blue Ajah took her freedom from her.  The girl who wanted to see the world? who never dreamed to be Aes Sedai until she was forced to it? 

Chains stronger than cuendilar forged of duty bound Siuan to her fate and she never escaped it. Siuan who stoically made her peace with her role after one known escape to warn Moiraine about the Black Ajah and what happened to the official searchers. She made the best of her prison and she LEARNED. An unsophisticated fisher girl mastered daes dae'mar in self defense. She waited, she did paperwork, she played the Towers game until she landed on top of it. She spent her time and energy protecting Moiraine and their quest. We never learned what other goals she may of had or events she influenced but it didn’t matter in the end. The Tower she built her life around betrayed her. Stuck like a crab in a trap her worst enemy arranged her deposal and tore her down. 

Siuan knew that for 20 years the Black Ajah was there and how the Amyrlins before her met their end. How afraid was she? How alone she must of felt while she was a sitting duck? She’s always so quick to get back to business but she’s not an idiot. She knew her time was coming. She understood what Min said but since Min can’t say when then she moves all that she can until that moment comes. 

But also the surprise of the betrayal? How painful to realize how badly she’d miscaculated her colleagues? She’s tortured for info about Moiraine and the Dragon. Then the power she never wanted but also defined her status was ripped from her. She got her best friend tortured and stilled a long side her? Everything she ever accomplished was erased in an instant. 

But this is Siuan Sanche? for the fourth time in her life she woke up and seized what opportunity she had. She left that Tower with Min, Leane, and Logain and she went out on a MISSION. And against all odds she succeeds? She puts all that mastery of daes dae'mar on display in Salidar and she gets no respect for it. She’s no one. She’s the idiot who broke the Tower. She’s the one who made all the mistakes and ruined everything. She’s shunned by her peers and is now a maid to some asshole with a hardon for her newer younger face. But god damn does she square up and show those assholes what she can do.  

Egwene is nothing but an apprentice to the Aiel before the pattern worked it’s magic through Siuan. She uses Egwene but also becomes her biggest mentor and friend. Making the transition to someone used to being in charge all the time and then to a bottom feeding catfish was a rough ride for Siuan but she does it? Does she complain? NO. You get ONE monologue towards the end of the series where she thinks damn this really didn’t go the way I wanted.

Siuan gets her power back but it’s just a trickle compared to what she had before and she has to completely find her place again in the Aes Sedai’s social hierarchy and RECALIBRATE all of her plans to work with her new status while she continues to be some assholes maid while developing stockholm syndrome.

And guess what bitches? Siuan Sanche is back daes dae’maring the entire Salidar Show asap. Egwene gets herself captured and it’s up to SIUAN with help but she’s the mastermind to hold that camp together and circumvent Lelaine and Romanda’s power grabs for Egwene. Can you imagine if Siuan Sanche wasn’t there? Egwene would of lost everything that she had gained but Siuan kept it for her by her teeth and nails but she did it. The pariah of the camp now a weak to middling Sister kept that ship afloat. At any point that could of gone tits up. How worried was Siuan? You’ll never know because she’ll never say that’s not her way but dear god the work ethic she has? The ability to hold on in the face of fear or loss? Her bravery?

And then when Egwene is in charge of the unified Tower? Siuan is the FIRST in line to declare herself NOT A FUCKING DARKFRIEND in front of all the Aes Sedai who doubted her and those who betrayed her. She waltzed up to the front of the line bypassing the gd strength hierarchy to do it. And also her secondary purpose? The failed former Amyrlin bowing to the newly raised Girl Amyrlin. She bestowed political capital to Egwene to spend how she choses. The old bent knee for the new. A message for the entire Tower that the world is seriously changing.

Without Siuan Sanche at the beginning of the series letting Rand go free and protecting Moiraine and then through the middle of the series guiding and protecting Egwene then the fields of Merrilor never happen?? Rand would be in a box and Egwene a novice but both are needed by the pattern to set the stage for the last battle between the Dragon and the Aes Sedai. Siuan Sanche was the tool that did all of this unglorious work and she lost everything for it including her life… just like her prodigy Egwene. Seriously WTF on that.

Anyways Siuan Sanche ladies and gentlemen. She deserves the world. She deserves more love. She deserves her character arc to play out in the show in a way that shows her intelligence, her power, her grit, her determination, her WILL. Fuck your prophecy Siuan Sanche did it her way and she’ll do it again no matter how many times fate knocks her down.Siuan Sanche swam upriver against the pattern her entire life, flipping off her haters, until the day she died.Siuan Sanche.

Siuan Sanche does so much of this alone and thinking her best friend the love of her life is dead. While being a servant to a stale white bread toad of a dude.

[amys-the-wise-1]

Wheel of Time Big Bang

This is happening! If you’ve been waiting for a reason or an excuse to take on a more ambitious project and collaborate with other talented people in our fandom, this is the perfect time!

Schedule:

May 29–June 5: Writer Sign-Ups

June 26: First Check-In

July 17: Final Draft and Summary Due

July 24–July 31: Artist Sign-Ups

August 21: Second Check-In

September 27: Completed Fic and Art Due

September 30: Posting

Link for writer sign-ups, along with fic requirements, will be up tomorrow, May 29.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

[amys-the-wise-1]

Spoilers for Towers of Midnight, but this is one of my favorite scenes in the whole series (I bet I'm not alone there). Anyway, I decided to make this into a short comic for no particular reason, probably because I still see this whole series as an anime in my head. That and I just like making comics.

[amys-the-wise-1]

Maybe it can be explained on segregated education systems or class structure specified teaching? The Posh get the Scottish accents (or maybe tower trained) and the middle/low classes get the Spanish ones (or vice versa?)

Thoughts?

(And I am do so down for Katie L being F'n Chesmal Emry. Have her role expanded for all seasons & more [SPOILERS])

Wow guys I hope you have been keeping up on your yoga because I am sleep deprived and about to make a reeeeeach.

Katie Leung is a Scottish actor who naturally speaks with a Scottish accent. (Although yes she did do a voice/accent on Arcane)

The only other Scottish accent we’ve heard on WoT is Maigan.

So if you haven’t already seen the great post about costumes, there’s a pretty strong case to be made that Maigan is Ghealdanin, especially because her book nationality is not confirmed.

There’s not many prominent Ghealdanin characters to be honest, and i think it might be a bit early to get into Masema’s uh, political inclinations.

But! Do you know who is a prominent Ghealdanin that would be perfectly placed for introduction in Season 2?

Fucking Chesmal Emry.

[amys-the-wise-1]

Y'all just wait. This is gonna be lit!

A woman demonstrating use of a guandao, also formally known as a yanyuedao (偃月刀; reclining moon blade).

[amys-the-wise-1]

I have a feeling that the Logain Arc is going to get a huge bit of expansion - which will make what happens with Nynaeve even more awe inspiring.

Oh, a tremendous thought here, under the cut, because of hot take and AMoL spoilers

What if they boost Logain's role of what Taim does, but have Taim be Demandred (the Taimendred role originally planned and scrapped, which I don't like) but have Taim still be Taim, but make it where Rand doesn't interact much with Taim (maybe the 1 time of establishing the school but never again in the show) and have Logain battling Taim. (Admittedly, this makes more sense in my head than written)

The only downside I have is... that pivotal Moment at the end where it's Taim vs Eggy (I will waste water if they cut that pivotal battle because it's such a huge arc conclusion for me!)

Alas....

Logain not Turning to the shadow even after Taim tries to Turn him 12 times (admittedly, he was using male channelers) bc his willpower is just that strong and his dedication to the Light that great... Much to think about

[amys-the-wise-1]

It's hilarious, really, that men see it as a "put you in your place" mindset (since it's about the power of the moment) and not the "oh, damn, that's brilliant, how can I adapt it to make it even better?" Those who think Pride is everything never created something spectacular.

Pride only stings a little. Being a (twit) is a lifetime.

So funny when people take “it’s just a weave Egwene” as some epic put-her-in-her-place scene when neither Egwene or Perrin view it that way

[amys-the-wise-1]

Moiraine going to the Three-fold Land is never not funny

[amys-the-wise-1]

Imagine the Creator taking someone aside, speaking into their dreams, and telling them back at the beginning of the second age, that their eternal fate is to be the foil for the champion, to keep the wheel in balance, to keep time turning.

"But can't I win every now and then?"

"No, you are the Washington Generals."

How do you break hope? By telling someone they aren't allowed to win unless you say so - and you will never say so.

Then comes along another voice, one that sounds strangely like your own, and says, "You will be my champion, and I will let this eternal torment end for you, and you will have ridiculously long life, and you will get to see the eons pass - and at first it sounds exciting, until realizing that you are to sow chaos and then go into hiding/hibernation for another millennia. (Since Ishy was out ~ 40 years for every 1000 from when he was sealed into the bore until the end of the third age.

By the time we get to see Ishy, He's seen the long-term results of the chaos he's sown in the previous releases and that it's not had the world grow, but kept the world stagnant and post-apocalyptic.

That bone deep weary sigh is, "Fuck, I've done that and I'm sick of my bargain. Let me rest finally."

(It ties into the mindset of vampyre lore that eventually they grow weary and either lock themselves in a tomb permanently or step out for one last suntan.)

I have a question about Ishamael. When exactly did he become so nihilistic?

Is it at the start of it all when his cold reason led him to conclude that eventually the Dark One would win so he might as well side with him or was that just cold logic which evolved over time into the so-done-with-life version we meet at the end? Moridin’s entire thing is that he’s tired of having to do the same thing over and over and over again - which matches up with Ishmael’s initial reasoning but also seems like a different kind of bone deep weariness. Given that people can’t remember their previous lives (with Rand the only exception - Brigitte is an anomaly of a different kind) where does his tiredness come from and why do none of the other Chosen Forsaken share it?

I think he deduced that the Dark One would win at some point but only came to his I’m-so-done-with-it-all desperation much later because he’s the only person from the Age of Legends who’s just been meddling in the world for thousands of years. Rand was reborn. The rest of the Forsaken were having a long nap. The Heroes of the Horn were chilling in tel’aran’rhiod before they were reborn at which point they couldn’t remember their previous lives. It seems to me that it’s the thousands of years of living as an anomaly that brings him to the point he’s at at the end. Am I reading him wrong? Was he always so down with burning everything down? Is there some companion or short story I should read to understand him better?

Or… was he always this way but we just didn’t get that feeling with Ballzy because the constant use of the True Power which gave him his fiery eyes also made him crazy and Moridin’s new body gave him a modicum of normality that allowed us to meet the true Ishamael?

[amys-the-wise-1]

So would that be something to the first age parable of Dorian Grey, where Rand looks like undercooked flatbread and the adorable (and frankly hot) Alexander Karim looking like death warmed over (and hot!)?

I could dig into that and appreciate it.

I had an idea about how they might handle Rand becoming colder/harder. If Lews appears as a visual hallucination as I'm hoping, we know Rand funnels his emotions into Lews so he himself appears emotionless. So if we saw Lews feeling what Rand is actually feeling? That would be really effective

[amys-the-wise-1]

What happens to Aiel warriors who don't become Wise Ones - and spark? O_o

If you're going to spit in Sightblinder's eyes, why not have a slap & tickle with someone on the way to the Blight?

Ooh thank you for this suggestion I completely did not remember this character and had to go wiki her so kudos on the deep dive. This is a side of the Greys i believe we don’t really see. If you are trained to foster negotiation shouldn’t it then also mean you are trained to stall and sabotage negotiation when that avenue would best serve your goals?

Dark Grey Ajah show me the forbidden negation techniques

Also apparently she’s canonically 6’2” with red hair which uhhhh MA’AM which eases the betrayal of my beloved Sheriam ….. Actually wait y’all have we ever investigated the Saldaean/Aiel bloodlines why are they all so tall with red hair what is this. They’re like, as far apart on the continent as you could be wtf.

[amys-the-wise-1]

I can actually answer that last one (it's a huge Spoiler for later in the series if you've not read it entirely) as a headcanon tidbit, if you're interested. Just a thought of "hmmm"

Ooh thank you for this suggestion I completely did not remember this character and had to go wiki her so kudos on the deep dive. This is a side of the Greys i believe we don’t really see. If you are trained to foster negotiation shouldn’t it then also mean you are trained to stall and sabotage negotiation when that avenue would best serve your goals?

Dark Grey Ajah show me the forbidden negation techniques

Also apparently she’s canonically 6’2” with red hair which uhhhh MA’AM which eases the betrayal of my beloved Sheriam ….. Actually wait y’all have we ever investigated the Saldaean/Aiel bloodlines why are they all so tall with red hair what is this. They’re like, as far apart on the continent as you could be wtf.